Seeing You Again
by mockingjay146
Summary: The war is over and all seems well for Peeta, until he sees Gale in his bakery. What will happen between them? Read and find out! Gale x Peeta. OOC a little
1. The Beginning

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of the characters in The Hunger Games...sadly. And this is my first story so yeah.**

It's been years since the revolution happened. Everything has seemed to cool down now and everything has been running smoothly. Peeta has returned to District 12 and he has returned to normal. For the most part. He still has distorted visions of Katniss. But it rarely happens anymore. Katniss has moved to District 2 with her mother to help her forget everything that happened. Even her relationship with Peeta. Now, Peeta is living in the Victors Village with Haymitch. People from 13 have been coming back slowly and surely to help with the reconstruction of 12, building houses, schools, stores and more to attract more people to live there. They even reconstructed Peeta's family's old bakery, which is how Peeta spends his time along with painting. It does remind him of his family, but once he starts baking, he loses himself. One day, he was working on frosting a cake when he heard the door open in the front of the store. He quickly washed his hands and then went to the front.

"Can I help you today?" Peeta asked before he looked at the person at the counter. It was Gale. All Peeta could do was stare. He hasn't seen Gale in about 2 years now. He though Gale went to live with Katniss in 2. "Gale, what are you doing back here?" he managed to ask.

"I came back to help with the reconstruction. I saw the bakery and figured it was you who would be working here. Just thought I could see a familiar face here." Gale said. He looked around to see what Peeta has made. "Did you make all of this?"

"Yeah I did," Peeta said "It's how I spend my time here in 12. I try to help with the reconstruction, but they don't let me help for more than an hour or so because of my leg."

"Well I could understand their reasoning. Anyways, all of this looks amazing. I just stopped in to say hello. I should get back to work now. See ya around." Gale said with a smile. Peeta could only get out a small 'bye' before Gale had swiftly walked out the door. Peeta was still in shock about seeing Gale, so it took him a little bit to register what exactly happened.

He then walked backed into his kitchen and resumed his culinary artwork. But something was different. He couldn't get lost in his work like he usually did. Something was bothering him. He just didn't know what. He continued his decorating until he was finished with that cake. Then he packed up and closed down the shop for the night. Peeta was walking back to his house when he saw Gale carrying lumber to a site that was building a school. He stopped and watched Gale carefully. How it seemed so effortless for him to pick up the wood and how easy he made it look to get to where it was needed with it on his shoulder. Then, Gale caught him staring. He gave Peeta a big smile and silently asked him to wait a second. Peeta nodded and once Gale turned around, he started to speed walk to his house out of nervousness. Gale saw this and made the attempt to catch up to him. He didn't know why Peeta didn't wait for him.

"Peeta! Wait up!" Gale screamed, while breaking into a brisk jog. Peeta only seemed to move faster than before, so Gale only sped up. After finally catching up to him, in front of Peeta's house, Gale was a little out of breath. "Peeta, why didn't you wait for me?"

"I don't know, my legs started moving by themselves." Peeta said with a weak smile. He knew it was a lie. And so did Gale. But all he did was stare at Peeta. "Why are you staring at me?" questioned Peeta.

Gale didn't respond at first, just stared. "Why didn't you wait?" asked Gale. Peeta didn't have an answer, so he just told Gale that he had something to do and walked through the yard and then straight into his house, not even looking back.

Peeta didn't know what was wrong with him. It was like he couldn't face Gale at all. His first thought was because Gale reminded him of Katniss. That was his reason for avoiding Gale. It was the reason he used for about a week. Gale could see something was bothering Peeta, so he thought he should give him space. But at the end of the week, Gale just needed to know why Peeta refused to see him. So Gale decided to drop by the bakery. He walked in the front door and expected Peeta to walk out from the back and blindly ask the customer what he wanted. No one came out, so he just waited. And waited. And waited. So Gale decided it was time to go into the back of the store. Once he got back there, he couldn't find anyone. He was really confused since the bakery was open. The sign saying someone was out wasn't up. But where could Peeta be? So he kept looking around. Then, he noticed something. The floor was a bit higher at one point. Gale then pulls up the wood that reveals a tunnel. Being the curious man that he is, Gale entered the tunnel. It wasn't that big, but Gale could easily walk though it. So Gale reaches the end of the tunnel, and the door way is open to a staircase. He has his knife in his hand and he carefully walks up the stairs. He gets to the top, and he realizes he's in someone's house. But who's?

"Hello? Is anyone there?" he asks. There isn't a response. He took in his surroundings. He was in a painting studio, but then Gale heard footsteps and immediately he's in a fighting stance. They are becoming louder, so Gale hides behind the curtains. The figure walks into the room and looks around. Gale peeked out from behind the curtain to see who it was. "Peeta? Is that you?" Gale asked. Peeta spun around to see Gale emerge from the curtains. Peeta was stunned to see Gale there.

"Gale? How the hell did you get-" Before Peeta could finish the sentence, Gale pointed to the opening in the floor where he came out. "Oh. Well why did you even go into the back of the bakery anyway?" Peeta asked nervously.

"Because we need to talk about this. I don't know why you won't talk to me. Or even look at me. I know that we aren't the best of friends, but I want to put our differences behind us and start again. Please." Gale pleaded. Peeta could see something in Gale's face that told him that he was telling the truth. Without a moment to spare, Peeta nodded and Gale let out a breath that apparently he was holding in. Peeta pointed to a leather couch that Gale was near. So he hopped over the back and landed softly on the cushion. Peeta walked over slowly and sat on the other side of the couch.

"Okay so what did you want to know."

"Why you won't even look at me? You're like one of the only people that I know and I'd like to be friends with a familiar person." stated Gale. Peeta didn't know what to do or say at the moment. So he just looked at Gale. "So what do you have to say?"

Peeta took in a deep breath. "Gale, right now I have no clue how I'm feeling. Whenever I see you, something inside me feels different somehow. I honestly don't know whether it's good or bad, but it feels like I change. And I just don't know how to explain it!" But in the middle of this explanation, Gale took notice to a particular painting of Peeta's. It was of him lifting the wood to help build the school. He looked at Peeta with a puzzled expression.

"Peeta, what's this? Gale asked, pointing at the painting. Peeta looked at what he was pointing at and froze. Then he went back to looking at his hands, which were his focus during his entire speech about his had no clue what to say. His mind was going an mile a minute and his heart was pounding even faster, which couldn't be healthy. He wouldn't be surprised if Gale could see his chest going in and out.

"I...uh...I pa-painted...y-you." was all Peeta could get out before he blacked out.

**Please R & R! Remember don't be too mean since it's my first story. More is to come though :D**


	2. Confessions and Realizations

**THANK YOU TO ALL THAT REVIEWED! I'm SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO sorry that I haven't been writing! I've been so caught up in my activities and the piles of homework that I rarely had time to myself! Hopefully I can get more time in to myself! And I know that they aren't really in character, but it's a fanfic! I'm also adding a little fibbed-details, so yeah if something isn't according to the book, I'm warning you now.**

**DISCLAIMER! I do NOT own The Hunger Games or any characters! sadly**

Peeta awoke in his bed the next morning. He sat up, stretched his arms out and rubbed his eyes, very confused.

_"Why am I in my bed?" _he thought, "_and how did I get under the covers? I swear that I fainted on the cou...wait. I fainted...why? OH SHIT GALE WAS HERE! AND HE SAW MY PAI-"_

_"_Peeta? Are you okay?" said a familiar voice. Peeta looked up and he saw a hazy figure above him. He reached over and grabbed his glasses and put them on. He saw Gale standing over him with a tray in his hands, a worrisome look on his face. Peeta was really confused.

"_Why is he still here? Did he bring me up here? Breakfast in bed? Why is he being so nice? I thought he hated me." _Peeta's mind raced from one thought to another. Gale was starting to get even more worried. He knew Peeta was thinking about something, and he didn't want to interrupt. So he put the tray on the nightstand and moved to sit on the settee. Before he could sit, Peeta looked up and locked eyes with him. The look they shared gave them both butterflies. Peeta quickly looked away. He began to question himself, why he felt that way. Was he gay? Or bisexual? Is that even allowed? Will people not like that? Gale interrupted his thoughts with a gentle cough.

"Peeta, can we please talk?" Gale pleaded. He looked like he needed to get something off his chest.

"What is there to...talk about?" Peeta responded. He had that gut feeling that he knew something was going to be painful.

"Peeta I'm gay! I've known for 2 years now! And once the Mockingjay bullshit was over and done with and Katniss left _both_ of us, I realized who I truly loved." Gale averted his gaze and Peeta's face got hot. There was a long pause, and Peeta didn't know what to do. Should he ask? He didn't know if Gale would even tell him. But he might as well ask.

"Gale...who do you...love?" Peeta spoke quietly. He honestly didn't know who it was, and was afraid to find out. He needed to be by himself for a little, but he didn't want Gale to think badly of him by just walking out when he was professing his love about someone to him. Peeta didn't really know what to do, and Gale looking away and pacing wasn't really helping. Was it him?

Gale hesitated before answering. He didn't know what was happening. Why is he telling Peeta his deepest secret since child hood? Did he really think Peeta would react nicely to what he was about to say? He hoped that Peeta would. But then again, there's fantasy and reality, and Peeta having a nice reaction is definitely in his fantasy. Right now, in Gale's mind, it's now or never. So he took in a deep breath and tightly shut his eyes and uttered the two words that could possibly change both their lives, either for better or for worse.

"It's you."

Peeta's head snapped up. On the outside, he was like a statue. On the inside though, his emotions ranged from ecstatic to horrified. No one ever thought of him like that. The girls always thought of _Gale _like that. Peeta's name never clouded the minds of the girls of District 12. But here Gale was, telling Peeta that he loved _him_. Gale Hawthorne, the teen heart throb, loves Peeta Mellark, the baker. He thought he was hallucinating.

"Peeta?" Gale said after a long pause. He didn't know what else to do. Peeta was just looking at him, but his eyes were glazed over. So he had to be thinking about what he just said.

"Yes, Gale?" Peeta finally managed to get out.

"Will you..uhhh...be my...boyfriend?" Gale said and looked as if someone was going to punch him.

"...no, n-" was all Peeta said before Gale got up and hastily left the room, trying not to let Peeta see the single tear that started to come down his tanned cheek. "Gale, wait! You didn't let me finish!" Peeta yelled to him, simultaneously getting out of the bed and following Gale as fast as he could before he got light headed and fell.

Gale heard the fall and immediately turned around to help him out, wiping away the tears in his eyes and on his face. The pain of heart ache was quickly replaced by worry as Gale lifted Peeta off the ground, cradling him in his arms.

Peeta regained his abilities and looked up at Gale. His face was full of emotions, which was rare for Gale. He looked as though someone he loved was about to die. And once their gazes met, Gale smiled. But it quickly turned into a frown.

"You never did let me finish."

"What more is there to say?"

"Well, I wanted to say that before anything happens between us, I need to confirm that I'm attracted to guys, plus I want to get to know you better."

Gale looked like he could die of happiness. The grin on his face was contagious because Peeta was sporting one not long after. Gale put Peeta down on his feet and looked into his eyes. "So is there anyway I can help you confirm?" Gale inquired.

"Yes. I just need three things." Before Gale could ask, Peeta hugged him tightly. Gale's immediate response was reciprocating the action and hugged Peeta close to him. Peeta relished the warmth that Gale gave off. He definitely could get used to this. So he mentally checked off one of the three things on his list.

The second item on the list was a surprise to Gale, when Peeta lifted his head and captured his lips in a passionate kiss. He didn't move at first, but then got into the gentle rhythm that Peeta started. He melted into Gale's arms once he started to kiss back. The girls who dated Gale in school definitely weren't as insane as Peeta thought when they said Gale was an amazing kisser. Check number two.

Peeta broke the kiss, much to both of their disappointments. Then, Peeta stared at Gale. He noticed something different in Peeta's eyes, but couldn't quite pin point it. But Peeta's next words made his eyes widen.

"Tell me that you love me." said Peeta without breaking eye contact. He needed to know that Gale was serious and not just playing some damn trick on him. He's learned ways to tell if someone is lying. So he thought it would be a good final test for Gale.

"Peeta, I love you, and if you want to be my boyfriend, I will always love you." Gale said.

Check number three.

Peeta knew that he wasn't lying. And when Gale said that, he got butterflies in his stomach and wanted to cry tears of joy.

"I've come to the realization that I am indeed gay," Peeta started "so thank you for that. And before this becomes official, you need to do something that should be pretty obvious."

Gale was dumbstruck. And because of it, he panicked. Is he ruining his chance with Peeta because he didn't know what to do? The girls just said yes. Nothing too hard. What could he be talking about?

Before Gale had a panic attack, Peeta told him what the thing was.

"A date? Sure, but I don't know where to go or what to do." Gale replied honestly.

"Well today's Sunday. I'll give you until Friday. If by then you can't think of anything, I already have some things planned in my head." Peeta said with a smirk. He lifted his head up and gave Gale a feather-like kiss on the lips and sauntered back to his room and closed the door to eat the wonderful meal Gale prepared in private, leaving Gale standing in the hall by himself, smiling like a five-tear-old who just got a new toy.


End file.
